Judge puts Assange behind bars ahead of extradition hearing

Wikileaks editor Julian Assange told Westminster Magistrates Court he would not consent to extradition to Sweden where he is wanted for alleged sexual offences.

Assange said he would fight proceedings from the UK.

Wikileaks meanwhile said legal action against its spokesman would have no effect on its publishing programme. It said: "Today's actions against our editor-in-chief Julian Assange won't affect our operations: we will release more cables tonight as normal."

The magistrates court has remanded Assange in custody until a detailed hearing on 14 December. Bail was refused on grounds that Assange has access to finance, the case is serious and he could fail to surrender. Prosecution fears that he could be a target for unstable people were rejected by the judge.

In news unlikely to upset him too much, Assange has not been removed from Time's online poll of people of the year, despite what you might have read on fecking Twitter.

A spokeswoman for Time said he was currently leading the poll and there was no plan to remove him from the list.

Jemima Khan, Ken Loach and John Pilger were all in court on behalf of Assange and offered to guarantee bail.®